Contactless travel, the next step in air travel, is possible, and it cannot come fast enough, accordion go the results of the International Air Transport Association’s 2023 Global Passenger Survey.
IATA’s Glasnevin born CEO Willie Walsh told a press conference at the first joint world financial symposium and world passenger symposium in Chicago that satisfaction levels were on an all time high. “It is at a record level will be comparing to previous was on 82pc of people saying they were satisfied either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, so I think we take encouragement from that.”
Of the 18pc who were dissatisfied he said many of the problems were outside of the airlines’ control. “The booking process shows a level of satisfaction. The pain points there that we’ve highlighted are baggage drop at 75pc, security at 73pc and then if we look at the transfer process border control and immigration and baggage collection.”
Mr Walsh said the survey indicated that airlines should prioritise speed and convenience, embrace biometrics and develop off-airport processes.
The survey shows passengers prefer booking directly with the airline and want complete visibility into fare offers, including access to optional products and services. It indicates:
- Credit/debit cards are the most popular payment method, with wide regional variations. Digital wallet usage is most popular in the Asia Pacific region. Africa has alow usage of credit cards and Latin America the highest.
- Complex visa requirements discourage travellers, and they favour a convenient, digital online visa process. An increasing number of travellers are willing to share their immigration information for faster airport processes.
- Passengers expect streamlined airport processes, including faster transit times. They are interested in completing more processing elements off-airport, including immigration and baggage services.
- Biometric identification is gaining confidence among travellers, with a preference for using it over traditional passports and boarding passes.
Mr Walsh IATA’s initiatives, such as One ID and Digitalisation of Admissibility standards, aim to revolutionise airport processes using biometrics and digital authorisations for an expedited travel experience. “The cooperation of governments and advancements in secure technology are necessary for implementing these improvements.” IATA have tested a contactless passenger experience on a flight from London to Rome.
Mr Walsh said IATA currently has 317 member airlines, 45 of which are low cost airlines.
The survey showed that proximity to the airport is the top priority for passengers when choosing their departure point, even more important than ticket price.
